Labour has warned that it will not support any intervention in Syria unless
David Cameron answers “basic questions” about the UK’s military objectives
in the war-torn country.

Douglas Alexander, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, said that he was not “ruling out" supporting the Government but that he was not going to give Mr Cameron a “blank cheque”.

He demanded that MPs are given a vote in Parliament over whether military action should take place and warned that Labour would be prepared to tell its MPs to vote against the Government if the case for intervention is not properly set out.

The Prime Minister has cut short his holiday and will decide whether to recall Parliament to discuss intervention in Syria.

More than 60 MPs have now signed an early day motion demanding that Mr Cameron gives them a say on the issue in Parliament.

Mr Cameron is facing demands to set out the legal justification for military action against Syria amid mounting unease over the scale and speed of Britain’s commitment to another conflict in the Middle East.

Speaking to Radio 4’s Today programme Mr Alexander said: “I’m certainly not ruling out supporting the Government, but I’m not prepared to write them a blank cheque…when they have to answer the most basic question about their military objectives.”

He added: “Of course Parliament should be consulted. I don’t think there is any legitimate ground for Parliament not being consulted.

“Parliament can and should be consulted. There should be a vote in Parliament after the Government sets out its case.”

“If we weren’t convinced then we would whip MPs [against],” Mr Alexander added.

William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, warned on Monday that force may be the only viable option in response to what the Government believes was a chemical attack by the Syrian regime which killed hundreds of people in Damascus last week.

Britain, America and France are united in their readiness to act and do not require any further United Nations resolution under international law, the Foreign Secretary said. John Kerry, the US secretary of state, described the chemical attack as a “moral obscenity” and warned that Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s president, must face “consequences”.

Mr Hague’s comments led to calls for ministers to “make their case” and detail the legal basis and long-term objectives of entering Syria’s bloody civil war.

The Russian government warned that a strike without UN backing would be a “blatant violation of international law” that would worsen the situation on the ground.

On Monday night, the Prime Minister, who was on holiday in Cornwall, telephoned Vladimir Putin and told him there was “little doubt” that the Assad regime was responsible for the Damascus attack. The Russian president refused to accept that there was enough evidence of a chemical attack or that forces loyal to the regime were responsible.

Adam Holloway, the MP for Gravesham and a former soldier, said that getting involved in the conflict would be “pure foolishness”.

“I think Parliament was pretty clear about the question of arming the revels. I think chucking cruise missiles in there is arming rebels with bells on really,” Mr Holloway said. “It might actually be quite a good thing because I doubt that Parliament would support this.

“So, we could have demonstrated our loyalty to sticking with our American allies but not actually get involved with this which is to me pure foolishness.”